Steve Diamond slams rivals' 'parasitical behaviour' after latest exit

Newcastle Falcons boss Steve Diamond has branded raids by rival Gallagher Premiership clubs on his international players as “parasitical behaviour” after Argentina lock Pedro Rubiolo agreed to join Bristol Bears next season.

Diamond accepts that due to financial restrictions, Falcons will continue to be a selling club but is moving to try and hold onto his young talent by signing them on longer-term contracts and believes Guy Pepper’s move to Bath will be the last by a product of the club’s academy for some time.

Falcons are also losing England hooker Jamie Blamire to Leicester Tigers next season, reducing the experience and talent available as Diamond tries to build on the team’s only Premiership win over Exeter Chiefs this season with Saracens the next arrivals at Kingston Park on Friday night.

Diamond said: "It is frustrating to lose Pedro but however much the supporter base won’t like me saying it for the next three or four years while we build this place we are going to have to be a selling club.

"We find players like Pedro and Mateo Carreras (now at Bayonne) and Argentine lads like that but when the big dogs come paying the big dollar I don’t think we can compete. In fact, I don’t think there are many clubs that can compete with what Pedro is probably getting at Bristol.

“Newcastle can take credit for identifying the youth and bringing them through and then there is a parasitical behaviour always where the bigger clubs come in and nick your players. We have to put up with that. It’s not nice and doesn’t leave the best taste in your mouth but that’s the way it is.

"I put up with it at Sale for a long time until we brought an investor in who could compete. Newcastle have probably been the best exponent of Argentine talent in the Premiership and we will continue to do that but getting our academy into shape here (is the main focus).

“As of 2024/25 I will be contracting young players for four to five years, guaranteeing them two years in the academy. Even if some of them don’t make it, we will still give them a good grounding in professional sport and at the age of 20 if we or they don’t feel it is right they can get into an apprenticeship and take their career further. But it is only fair we give them two years guaranteed so we are not ditching kids after one year and that model will work. We will see the end of the Guy Peppers being poached at 20 years old.”